Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-11-17
ABOUT REFORM SCHOOLS.
A Diseouragfns Picture oT Their Evil In
fluence UDOu fRuvG-

enty institutions designed for the refOr-
nation Of young offenders. Their in
mates number more than nine thou
sand boys and girls, The causes OF
commitment embrace nearly every of.
tense, from petty larceny to man.
slaughter. The means of amendment
employed include not only the removal
of the offender from the opportunity oil
lndulging his criminal tastes, but also
the teaching of some trade, instruction
In the elementary branches of knowl-
edge, and endeavor to form an upright
character. Concerning the success of
the reform school in the reformation of
those intrusted to it. there is room for
two contrary opinions. In an exami-
nation of the cOnvicts of the prisons
of New York, which was ordered by
the Prison Association of the State in
1875. it was found that of the inmates
of the Sing Sing penitentiary, 22.31
per cent. had been refuge" boys. As
the usual number of inmates of the
reformatories of New York exceeds
three thousand, it is plain that the
large portion of them do not become in
mates of prisons within the State.
AS to the reforms accomplished, es-
Inmates vary from 60 per cent. to IS.
But in these percentages are included
many children who without being
vicious, but exposed and homeless, are
received into the houses of refuge.
The proportion, therefore, of those
who have served in reform schools who
are afterward convicted of crimes is
small, not exceeding 80 or 40 per cent.
Yet statistics Indicate that the influence
of these schools in impressing evil
habits upon Il certain class of their
boys is exceedingly strong. OF the
22.31 per cent. of the Sing Sing
convicts examined who had been in
these schools, SO per cent--fifty-one
out of fifty-two-were habituaL crimi-
mails. Some light is thrown upon the
methods by which the reform school
helps to fix the habit of criminality by
the following conversation between "a
convict at Sing Sing and an examiner:
please, sir, may 1 ask you a ques-
tion?" asks the convict.
Certainly" is the examiners reply.
'Why do they send boys to the house
of refugee"
II suppose it Is to teach them to be
better boys
That's Il great mistake. for they get
worse"
''HOw should that be?''
~ wouldn't be here only 1 was sent
to the refuge"
what did you learn there that
should have caused you to be sent
here?'
81 didn't know how to pick pockets
before l went, and l didn't know no
fences; that's where you sell what you
steal, you know"
What else did you learn in the way
of thieving?" q
al learned how to put up job in
burglary"
Another inmate-who at the age of
seven stole fruit, and was sent to re-
form school at Albany for nine months;
at eight was found guilty of petit lar
ceny, and sent to the house of refuge;
at twelve was committed to a Juvenile
asylum, and escaped three times in
four days; and three other times be
fore reaching his majority was SEN
fenced to reformatories, and who be-
tween the ages of twenty-one and forty
one had been committed to prison no
less than ten times-remarke to the
examiner:
II never learned thing in my life
in prison to benefit me outside. The
house of refuge is tho worst place boy
could be sent to"
why sop
t'Boys are worse than men7 believe
boys know more mischief than men,
In the house of refuge l learned to
sneak-thief. shop-lift. pick pockets and
open lock"
'-How did you get an opportunity to
learn all this?''
There's plenty of chance They
learn it from each other when at
play"
In respect to the evil influence of
the reform school upon certain boys.
it is, moreover, worth while to refer to
the experience of one of the most
learned and humane judges of the SUI
preme Bench of Maine Before his
court was brought IL boy who had, evil
IDENTIFY in fit of extreme rage, shot his
father. He had, so far as known,
borne good reputation, and was a
church member. He pleaded that he
believed the gun was not loaded, and
only intended to brighten his parent
The jury returned a verdict of guilty. |
Never before, confesSes the Judge. did |
he spend so many sleepless nights in
upon sentence. 1t lay |
in his power to commit the lad either |
to the reform school of the State dur
ing the remainder of his majority or to
the State prison for a term of years.
He chose the latter alternative, and on
the ground that in the reform school |
he would learn certain vicious and |